Key retainers



Dec. 13, 1966 S. SEGAL KEY RETAINERS Filed Oct. :21', 1964 United States Patent 3,290,911 KEY RETAINERS Samuel Segal, deceased, late of New York, N.Y., by Leonard Segal, executor, New York, N.Y., assignor to Segal Products Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Substituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 145,050, Oct. 16, 1961. This application Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 406,975

Claims. (Cl. 70-459) This invention relates to a key retainer and is a substitute application to Serial No. 145,050, filed October 16, 1961, now abandoned, and is particularly concerned with a wire loop having a gap therein closed by a spring pressed sleeve slidably mounted on a straight end section of the wire.

The gap in the wire loop extends between the free end of the straight end section and a section extending at an angle slightly less than 90 to the straight end section and intersecting the longitudinal axis of the straight end section in spaced relationship to the free end of said straight end section.

The spring pressed sleeve holds the key securely against accidental displacement, but permits easy separation of said key from the retainer. The key retainer may be designed for a single key or for a plurality of keys. In the embodiment designed for a plurality of keys, any selected key may be readily detached from the retainer. The retainer for a single key may have a headed stem for attachment to a key case.

In either embodiment the retainer is preferably provided with means for holding the spring pressed sleeve in open position to facilitate insertion of one or more keys in the loop. The straight end section terminates in a curved section intermediate the straight end section and .the section angularly inclined thereto.

The structure by means of which the above mentioned and other advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing a few illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a key retainer embodying the invention mounted in a slotted metal strip riveted to a key case;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, with a key pressing the sleeve from closed position for insertion of the key;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the key retainer in open position, and with the closed position shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing one means for holding the key retainer in open position;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a modified embodiment of the key retainer with a key positioned for removal therefrom; and

FIG. 6 is a view, similar to FIG. 5, with the key being removed from the retainer.

In the drawings, a wire 2 is formed to provide a straight end section 3 terminating in a curved section 4. A section 5 may extend from section 4 parallel to the straight end section 3 or may be inclined at a slight angle thereto. The section 5 terminates in a section 6 that is inclined at an angle of slightly less than 90 to the straight end sec tion and intersects the longitudinal axis of said straight end section in spaced relationship to the free end of said straight end section to form a loop that is closed except for a gap 7. The angularly disposed section 6 terminates in another straight end section 8 axially aligned with section 3.

The free end of section 8 is provided with a head 9 by "ice means of which it may be secured to a metal strip 10 secured to a key case 11 in any suitable manner, such as, for example, by rivets 12. The metal strip 10 has a plurality of slots 13 having one end of each enlarged, as indicated at 14, to receive the head 9 of a key retainer.

A sleeve 15 having a closed end 16 is slidably mounted on the free end of section 3. The sleeve is preferably of slightly larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the wire 2, and the open end of the sleeve is bent inwardly to provide an internal annular shoulder 17 adapted to prevent removal of a spring 18 confined between the free end of the section 3 and the closed end of the sleeve 15. The external diameter of the spring is slightly larger than the diameter of the section 3, so that if the sleeve is removed from the end of section 3, the shoulder 17 will abut the spring and prevent accidental displacement of the spring from the sleeve. The diameter of the wire of the spring is greater than the width of the shoulder 17 so that it is impossible for the spring to completely encircle the straight end portion 3 of the key retainer. A portion of the wire must project inwardly from the inner surface of the sleeve 15 beyond the inner edge of the shoulder 17 so that it will engage the end of section 3 and urge the closed end 16 of the sleeve into abutting engagement with the angularly disposed section 6 of the wire loop.

The portion of the section 6 that is covered by the sleeve 15 in the closed position of the loop is straight to facilitate sliding movement of the sleeve on the section 3. In the area of section 3 that lies between the closed and open position of the lower edge of the sleeve the section 3 may be deformed in any suitable manner. In FIG. 4, the section 3 is deformed, as indicated at 19, by

hammering it out of shape. The wire may, if desired, be

kinked or bent in the specified area.

When it is desired to insert a key into the loop or to remove one therefrom, the sleeve 15 is pressed away from the section 6 against the action of the spring 18 to open the gap 7 for the key to pass through. If section 3 is not deformed, the sleeve may be manually held in open position until the key is inserted or removed. If the section 3 is deformed, the sleeve may be pressed into engagement with the deformation with sufiicient force to hold it in open position until it is moved out of engagement with said deformation. The sleeve may be twisted slightly as it is pressed into engagement with the deformation to provide increased friction for the holding engagement.

If the section 3 is not deformed, the sleeve 15 may be long enough so that when it is moved to open position its lower end will engage the radius defining the end of the curved section 4 adjacent the end of straight section 3. The sleeve may be pressed into engagement with the curved section to hold it in open position in the same manner as with the deformation mentioned above.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the wire loop 20' is substantially the same as the loop 2 except that the stem 8 is omitted. The angularly disposed section 21 is similar to section 6 but -is not curved into a stem. The end of section 21 is 4. The loop 20 is particularly advantageous for holding a car key and other keys. When the car is driven on to a parking lot where the car key must be left in the ignition, it is a very simple matter to grasp the sleeve 15 with thumb and forefinger. A quick pull on the sleeve removes the loop 20 with the other keys intact, while leaving the key in the ignition. The particular angle at which the section 21 is disposed makes it easy for the loop to slip off the car key that is held in the ignition.

Although two preferred embodiments of this invention have been described in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, asmany details of structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, therefore, it is not desired to be restricted to the exact structure described.

What is claimed is:

1. A key holder comprising a Wire having a straight end section, a section extending at an angle slightly less than 90 to said straight end section, said angularly disposed section intersecting the longitudinal axis of said straight section in spaced relationship to the outer end of said straight end section, a sleeve having a closed end and an open end, said sleeve slidably mounted on said straight end section, a wire spring within said sleeve, said open end of said sleeve having an internal annular shoulder to prevent removal of said spring, a portion of said spring projecting inwardly from the inner surface of said sleeve beyond the inner edge of said internal annular shoulder and engaging said straight end section, said spring urging said closed end of said sleeve axially outwardly relative to said straight end section, whereby said closed end of said sleeve is held in abutment with said angularly disposed section.

2. A key holder as described in claim 1 including means for holding said sleeve in open position.

3. A key holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said straight section of said wire includes a slight bend below the position occupied by the lower end of said sleeve in its closed position, said sleeve being movable into engagement with said bend to hold said sleeve in open position.

4. A key holder comprising a wire having a straight .end section, a curved section offset from said straight end section to form a shoulder, said curved section terminating in a second straight end section extending in the same general direction as said first mentioned straight end section, a tubular sleeve having a closed end and an open end, said sleeve slidably mounted on said second straight end section, a wire spring confined in said tubular sleeve, said open end of said sleeve having an internal annular shoulder to prevent removal of said spring, a portion of said spring projecting inwardly from the inner surface of said internal annular shoulder and engaging said second straight end section, said spring urging said closed end of said sleeve into engagement with said shoulder to form a closed loop.

5. A key holder as claimed in claim 4 wherein said wire is curved at a slight angle adjacent the lower end of said second mentioned straight end section, said sleeve being movable into engagment with said lower end of said second mentioned straight end portion far enough to be frictionally held against the action of said spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 613,139 10/1898 Grant 24-239 1,284,774 11/1918 Reyburn. 2,394,507 2/1946 Zarowin. 2,989,862 6/1961 Segal 70459 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A KEY HOLDER COMPRISING A WIRE HAVNG A STRAIGHT END SECTION, A SECTION EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 90* TO SAID STRAIGHT END SECTION, SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED SECTION INTERSECTING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID STRAIGHT SECTION IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE OUTER END OF SAID STRAIGHT END SECTION, A SLEEVE HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID SLEEVE SLIGHTLY MOUNTED ON SAID STRAIGHT END SECTION, A WIRE SPRING WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, SAID OPEN END OF SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN INTERNAL ANNULAR SHOULDER TO PREVENT REMOVAL OF SAID SPRING, A PORTION OF SAID SPRING PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE BEYOND THE INNER EDGE OF SAID INTERNAL ANNULAR SHOULDER AND ENGAGING SAID STRAIGHT END SECTION, SAID SPRING URGING SAID CLOSED END OF SAID SLEEVE AXIALLY OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID STRAIGHT END SECTION, WHEREBY SAID CLOSE END OF SAID SLEEVE IS HELD IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED SECTION. 